Love Thy Neighbour... "!" "?"

“Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief in their heart.”

My sincerest apologies for starting the article on a melancholy note taken from the Holy Bible. Atal ji once said that one can change their friends but not their neighbours. India is the seventh largest nation in terms of area occupied on the planet, where reside 1/6th of the planet’s denizens. We have China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, Bhutan, Myanmar and Maldives as our closest geographical neighbours. There has been constant effort from India to maintain a sound and sweet relations with every nation. Sometimes the efforts have been rewarded while at others, things have not gone as per the plans.
Our biggest neighbour in terms of area, population and economy is the Republic of China. It is needless to remind that the relationship that we share with China does not have a strong platform. China’s offensive policy against India is not favourable. China’s aggression on India in 1962, at a time when the two super powers had their heads stuck into the Cuban Missile Crisis and when India was a newly independent state, leaves a lot to be questioned on the prudence of a nation whose history has been a source of countless lessons to all. About three centuries ago, India and China were the two most prosperous nations in the world and statistically contributed about 50% of the world’s GDP. But then, gripped with imperialism, colonialisation and internal orthodoxy, they underwent a decline. History holds that India and China were shared good cultural relations and there were great exchanges of the intellegentsia. In early Tang period, Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese monk, scholar and traveler established an interaction with the Indians. Today the main area of dispute for the nations is the area of land held by them. While India constantly reiterates that it considers Tibet as an inalienable part of China, the Chinese treatment of Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed territory leaves a lot to be desired for the Indians. This is a clear violation of the deal no.6 in which both side agreed “Not to disturb the settled population”. It has led to a blow hot – blow cold roller coaster ride. Recently China has denied residents of Arunachal visa and they reason that “Chinese people do not require a visa”. China has always had an offensive strategy towards India. On general terms, China loathes the stronger neighbour and prefers weak & loyal subordinates- the shaking of hands in 1969 with the US when it had a clash with the Soviet Union bears a testimony to the same for then USSR was a mighty force. Many Indians live under the premonition of a possible Chinese attack on India. But that won’t be viable for the Chinese. The only positive to have come out from the war of 62 was that the Chinese realized that Indians do come together as one during any external aggression- what Chanakya called the concept of Chakravartin. India is no more the India of 62. We are a major world power. China is a bigger player with its GDP three times India’s, Per capita more than double and Defense expenditure roughly six times that of India. “Competitive” and “Comparative” advantage is the mantra to move forward for both the nations. There are about hundred Indian companies in China and sixty Chinese companies in India. Slowly, China has become the largest trading partner of India (and not the United States). Between appeasement and confrontation, there lie a hundred different steps. We should encourage trade and cultural ties. At the same time pragmatic diplomacy must be pursued. India can play well the Dalai Lama card who, having been snubbed in China, resides in India. Most of China’s energy needs are met through Indian Ocean. A sound strategy regarding the same would check China’s aggressiveness. We know China is the manufacturing hub. We can aim to countering that by enhancing our core competency – the Software aspect of things. We are a great nation. Though India and China are developing at the fastest rate, both still are developing economies and the challenges of similar nature surround them. Poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and Climate change are some of the major issues that face the two nations now. China is the biggest emitter of the green house gases and India too is catching up with the pace. The developing economies reason that the developed world has already utilized the resources to their path of glory and they have no right now to stop the developing nations from getting the fair share at a time when they are on their path to grandiose. But is it not too myopic? I guess if developing nations must take this as their moral and ethical responsibility, they would set an unprecedented example for the future generations. If the world were to go down with the nature’s fury, the entire planet would be engulfed in the rage and there won’t be any demarcation to the share of the wrath.

Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission,

Having never set eyes on the land he was called to partition

Between two peoples fanatically at odds,

With their different diets and incompatible gods.

"Time," they had briefed him in London, "is short.

It's too late For mutual reconciliation or rational debate:

The only solution now lies in separation.”

The above lines from W.H. Auden’s Partition show the plight of partition. Ever since we parted as two different nations, India and Pakistan have had turbulent relation, with both regarding each other as the greatest threat. The blame for the fragile relations can be attributed to the state sponsored terrorist activities from Pakistan. From Kandahar to Delhi and from Ahmedabad to Bombay – there have been many a terrorist strikes planned and manned from men across the border which has resulted in many innocent lives lost and property damaged .We have fought three wars so far with a common loser called Humanity. Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) is constantly involved in plotting against India. Whereas India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Pakistan finds itself in jeopardy, struggling for existence. The seeds sown by Pakistan by allowing terrorists to function from its soil are backfiring for them. The greatest fear that one associates with Pakistan is the fear of Nuclear weapons. Pakistan has time and again been found involved in proliferation of Nukes. The instance of Pakistan’s missile man A.Q.Khan selling important information to North Korea and Iran is something to be concerned about. Pakistan, today, is a hub for international terrorism and the den for Osama Bin Laden. India must put pressure on Pakistan internationally to act against the perpetrators. Once there ate serious ground works done from their end, India should move forward with the dialogue process on issues including Kashmir. As per the Shimla Accord of 1972, Pakistan must try to resolve the issues bilaterally with India. America has been providing military and marshal aid to Pakistan to fight terrorist on western border and to build their almost bankrupt economy, but unfortunately Pakistan has used the aides for ‘martial’ purpose on the eastern border against India. Pakistan lost the moral claim on Pakistan long back when the international community lauded the efforts of India to conduct free and fair elections in the valley. Pakistan is a pseudo-democratic country with actual power residing with the Army. Pakistan must aim at being a truly democratic nation and developing cultural and economic ties with India, by leaving its evil pursuits. We should establish a mutually acceptable power equation in South Asia.
India shares a mystifying relation with Bangladesh for whose freedom twenty thousand Indian soldiers kissed their graves. After the liberation war of 1971, we gave refuge to 10 million Bangladeshi nationals to save them form the Pakistani atrocities. Despite the efforts of Indians, Bangladesh continues to create nuisance in the Teen Bigha corridor by allowing it to be used for anti India activities. Political scenario is such that by fanning Anti India sentiments, the leaders divert the attention from the more important problems that press the nation. There have been constant tussle between the BSF and the Bangladesh Rifles with the former accusing the latter of obstructing the fencing work. Bangladesh accuses India of playing games with respect to the Farakka Barrage. India should play the role of a big brother and stop cross border trafficking in drugs, arms and women from Bangladesh.
Srilanka’s role as neighbour has been very significant right from the age of Lord Rama. Indo-Srilankan relations have seen the best of times as well as the worst times. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is a constant thorn in our relation, who we need to fight together. We should realize the full objective of SAARC and work towards achieving the goals. When it comes to our relatively smaller neighbours, our efforts should be to act as a moral guide to encourage them to channelize their energy in the right directions. Myanmar, for instance, has one of the most brutal dictatorships resulting in many human rights violation. India should put pressure on Myanmar to instate democracy under National League for Democracy’s Aung San Suu Kyi. Nepal, on the other hand has been given the preferred nation status. Maoists functioning in Nepal have been a source of constant headache for India. Nepal must be coerced into taking form steps to dismantle all the anti-social activities. On the North East we have the picturesque Bhutan as our neighbour who has been supportive of India all the way through. India has a say in Bhutan’s affairs and is the largest partner of Bhutan in all sectors. India must be aware of the growing Chinese influence on the neighbours and try to curtail it. Maldives is best known for its beaches and blue waters. But the latest stand that it took in New York during the United Nations annual meet is something we must ponder about. They voiced the concern for climate which might engulf the island. We must support Maldives in her efforts to keep it “afloat”.
We must collaborate in the areas of renewable energy, agriculture and Information technology to make this region a more luring one for trade and commerce. We must take Human rights issue very seriously and there must be a collective effort to work for the good of the common man. We are but one people living under different shades. We must make sure that our collective efforts ensure that all shades are well managed. Peace is not merely the distant goal that we seek but the means through which we reach that goal.

"Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous" -- George Bernard Shaw